One of the Southwest’s best hidden gems is found along a quiet stretch of highway near the Utah-Arizona border. A water-wonderland surrounded by out-of-this-world scenery is not only a boater’s oasis with over 96 water-filled canyons to explore but also an epicenter for spectacular hiking.
I’ve mentioned that some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around our annual trip to Lake Powell, and I remember anxiously anticipating this trip every fall — to me, it was even better than Christmas. I have wonderful memories of that bright blue lake surrounded by incredible red sandstone vistas: late nights around a crackling campfire, shenanigan-filled week-long adventures with my cousins, playing music way too loud and staying up way too late, lots of sugar and caffeine, and star-gazing from one of the darkest locations in the West. We’ve hiked, jet skied, wakeboarded, cliff jumped, and explored a significant portion of this lake, and with over 1,900 miles of coastline (longer than the west coast of the U.S.), Lake Powell offers plenty of opportunities for exploration and adventure.
Around the first of August Cody received some very exciting news regarding a fantastic career opportunity! That evening during his celebration dinner, we discussed the possibility of a fall trip and we both agreed that it would need to happen right away or not happen at all due to time constraints. We continued our discussion throughout dinner and by the time the check arrived we had decided to go on that last minute trip — after all, his news was definitely worth celebrating (and I’m not one to say “No” to a trip).
We had about week to plan, which meant that we needed to stay somewhere within driving distance because flights were simply too expensive; and after throwing around a few different locations, we both agreed that Lake Powell was an easy decision. It was not only on my 101 goals in 1001 days list, but I had been looking for an opportunity to show Cody one of my favorite places in the world since we began dating nine years ago.
While my past trips to Lake Powell were always spent on a remote beach somewhere in one of the side canyons, Cody and I do not own a boat (yet) and we didn’t want to rent a large houseboat for such a quick trip, so we went with the next best option: reserving a lake-side room at the Lake Powell Resort.
Stunning vistas, three on-site restaurants, free parking, close proximity to Glen Canyon Dam, and located only five-minutes outside of Page, Arizona, the Lake Powell Resort location cannot be beat (unless you’re actually staying on the lake).
After a five-hour drive south, we made it to the resort with just enough time to drop off our bags in the room and catch an incredible sunset. We found a quiet spot near the pool and sipped our cocktails as we watched the sun dip below the horizon. Our adventure was just beginning and we were about to have a lot of dam fun the next day!
Pictures and Plane Tickets 
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